EU-GCC summit in Riyadh postponed after threats to Saudi Arabia
The 24 October leaders’ meeting has been postponed. The GCC cited Houthi threats and the extended suspension of Riyadh airport operations; no replacement date has been announced.
The European Union and Gulf Cooperation Council have postponed their summit scheduled for 24 October 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The GCC cited threats to the host country and disruption at its airport, while the European Council said a new date would be announced in due course. The delay affects a planned leaders’ meeting intended to deepen ties between the two blocs.
Why the Riyadh summit was postponed
GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said continuing Houthi attempts to target Saudi Arabia and the extended suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport meant the meeting would be rescheduled. He said the decision was taken to protect participating delegations amid threats to civilians. His account gives the Gulf bloc’s reason for the delay; Reuters reported that the EU did not specify its own reason for postponement.
Reuters reported that strikes on Riyadh’s international airport the previous weekend, in an attack claimed by the Houthis, killed 13 people and wounded hundreds. It said the airport remained closed. Those reported casualties and the disruption form the immediate security context for Albudaiwi’s statement.
Plans for the second EU-GCC leaders’ meeting
The Riyadh meeting was to be the second summit of EU and GCC leaders in this format, following their first gathering in October 2024. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was scheduled to co-host it with European Council President António Costa. The National reported that Gulf states had hoped to advance discussions on Schengen visa arrangements at the summit.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said he expected security reasons might explain the postponement. He also said Bulgaria was promoting a proposed rail corridor that would carry Saudi oil to Europe through Syria, Turkey and Bulgaria, and hoped it would feature in future discussions. That proposal was among the potential topics for talks, rather than an agreed summit outcome.
The EU said its partnership with the Gulf Cooperation Council remained of great strategic importance and that it was committed to deepening it.
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Sources and context
- EU and Gulf states postpone summit due in Saudi ArabiaReuters, republished by Al-Monitor
- Gulf-EU summit in Riyadh postponed amid Houthi attacks on Saudi ArabiaThe National
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.